Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Two companies and a managing director have been fined a total of £170,000 after a worker fell more than nine metres, leaving him paralysed from the chest down. Director Richard Mark Berwick was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000. He was also disqualified as a director for four years commencing 7 May 2010.

The reality - If not properly secured, vehicle loads can become unsafe, even over a short distance. Loads that haven’t been firmly tied down increase the risk of vehicle rollover and spillage. They risk the lives of drivers and other road users, and can also cause annoying traffic disruption. More than 1200 people a year are injured as a result of unsafe loads, and millions of pounds are lost in damaged goods.

Employers are putting millions of UK workers at risk as a result of lax fire safety warns leading insurer RSA. The firm’s latest research shows that a quarter of workers have never participated in a full fire evacuation of their workplace, despite government guidelines suggesting full drills be undertaken once a year.